Nighttime Coyote Hunting Proposed

Hunting coyotes at night could soon be legal in some parts of the state. A proposed rule change by the North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission would allow the use of artificial lights to blind coyotes after dark. The move is prompted by concerns for livestock and pet safety as the animals' population increases. But David Rabon from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service's Red Wolf Recovery Program says the change could threaten the fragile Red Wolf population.

David Rabon: Coyotes and Red Wolves are very similar looking, especially through untrained eye or when there's no scale involved. And when you lose the visible light, then you're going to have a harder time.

Rabon says sterilizing coyotes might be a more effective and safer way to reduce the population. He says there are only 90-to-110 red wolves living in North Carolina.